To support and further deepen children's understanding of the Hindu festival Divali, children in the Nursery had lots of time to share artefacts, props and the complex story of Rana and Sita. They listened to Hindi music and responded to it, moving and dancing with fabric. Some children showed sustained interest in the story and recalled information about the festival.
A group of children then were supported in planning a trip to Maida Restaurant for a vegetarian meal: they shared the menu, talked about what food they would like and wrote lists. A small group of parents and children travelled on the number 8 bus to Brick Lane and were treated to a culinary delight! The smells, sounds, textures and tastes of their Indian meal ensured they had a wonderful experience and a deeper understanding of another culture and tradition. Food is very important at Rachel Keeling: we plant, tend, grow, harvest and share fruit and vegetables. We try to make healthy choices about what we eat and drink. We encourage children to enjoy sharing food and make lunch and snack time as peaceful and joyous an occasion as possible.
Our generous families donated so much wonderful food for those less fortunate than ourselves we were able to share it with our local Food Bank. Children gathered and organised the food into boxes: pasta, spaghetti, rice, teabags, sugar and biscuits. Glenn helped us to load the boxes into our Forest School trolley. One child from each class helped to push the trolley (and pick up the dropped biscuits) through Bethnal Green to Cambridge Heath Road where the grateful people of the First Love Foundation put it out for the Food Bank clients. The children showed understanding of the idea that we share with people who might have less than us. Thank you to all our families and friends of the nursery who donated and continue to donate fruit and snacks for the children to share. |